Central Pennsylvania native Joe Novak survived grievous wounds as a Marine reconnaissance sergeant in Vietnam. Now he is a collector of knickknacks, from an autographed photo of an archbishop to a motorcycle once owned by rock ’n’ roll legend Jimi Hendrix.

Central Pennsylvania native Joe Novak survived grievous wounds as a Marine reconnaissance sergeant in Vietnam. Now he is a collector of knickknacks, from an autographed photo of an archbishop to a motorcycle once owned by rock ’n’ roll legend Jimi Hendrix.

Imagine crawling into a dark, narrow underground tunnel, not knowing if there are enemy soldiers waiting to slit your throat or shoot you without even a moment’s notice. This was the everyday experience of Douglas Graybill Jr., an American “tunnel rat” in the Vietnam War.

Books about war are generally filled with tales of sacrifice and courage in mortal combat. But sometimes they neglect the heroism of those who served in support roles. And that is particularly true of nurses.

Jay Snyder’s war ended 51 years ago. But after retiring from a distinguished career working for the Pennsylvania state government and as the leading tennis official in the United States, the war now seems as close as it’s been since he left Vietnam in 1966.